A primary school teacher is going to walk 100 miles along the South Downs Way in memory of her husband, who died from angiosarcoma, a rare cancer that accounts for just 0.05% of all cancer diagnoses.
Fiona Harper, from Lowestoft in Suffolk, will be walking the length of the South Downs Way with her nine-year-old son Arthur to raise money for Sarcoma UK. Fiona’s husband, Jack, was only 38 when he succumbed to the disease two years ago. Jack had initially complained of a tight chest in 2020 and his GP prescribed him medication for heartburn. However, his condition worsened and he went to the hospital, where scans showed a fist-sized tumour on his heart.
Jack had open-heart surgery at the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge to remove the tumour and was given chemotherapy. Things seemed to be improving in the first half of 2021 but a further scan revealed that the tumour had returned. He had immunotherapy late in 2021 but this was unsuccessful. Early in 2022, he was sent home for palliative care and died in April that year.
Jack, a father of two children, Arthur and Agnes, was a quantity surveyor when he died. Fiona said: ‘Jack was so brave from the beginning. He told us, “I’d rather it be me than any of you”.’
Fiona and Arthur will walk the South Downs Way starting on Saturday July 20 in Winchester, Hampshire, and aim to reach Eastbourne in Sussex on Sunday July 28. They will be joined by family members along the way.
She said: ‘This is personal for me and my children. After Jack died, we wanted to do something. I didn’t know about sarcoma, but I now know angiosarcoma is very rare. We want to do anything we can to raise awareness and funding that might help research into this disease so other families don’t have to go through what we have been through.’
Kerry Reeves-Kneip, Director of Communications and Fundraising at Sarcoma UK, said: ‘Fiona’s courageous efforts shine a light on the critical need for improved awareness and diagnosis of rare cancers like angiosarcoma. Jack’s story underscores the importance of thorough investigation when symptoms persist. At Sarcoma UK, we’re committed to funding research that could lead to earlier detection and more effective treatments. We’re currently supporting a promising study at the Institute of Cancer Research to personalise angiosarcoma treatment. Fiona’s walk honours Jack’s memory and contributes to our mission of ensuring that no one faces sarcoma alone.’
You can donate to Fiona here.
